Parylene coated components for artificial sphincters

Abstract

This invention provides an artificial sphincter including a component coated on at least one contacting surface with a polymeric material, the polymeric coating adapted to expand and return to an original configuration and to prevent or inhibit wear or abrasion of the contacting surface. The polymeric material is parylene in some embodiments. The component adapted for inflation and deflation may be a cuff formed from silicon and adapted to surround a urethra or a rectum. Also provided by the present invention is a method of depositing a coating to a surface of an inflatable component by providing a vacuum chamber system having an inner chamber positioned within an outer chamber. At least one coating material is introduced into at least one of the inner and outer chambers to deposit a coating onto an exposed surface of the component. This invention also provides methods of masking portions of surfaces of an inflatable component to prevent a coating from being deposited on the masked portion.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference the entire disclosure of provisional U.S. application Ser. No. 60 / 310,005, entitled “Parylene Coated Components For Artificial Sphincters,” filed Aug. 3, 2001. This application is a continuation-in part of and incorporates by reference the entire disclosure of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 526,051, entitled “Parylene-Coated Components for Inflatable Penile Prosthesis,” filed Mar. 15, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,315.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]Incontinence is an affliction that prevents a patient from controlling waste elimination functions. As one might expect, this condition can be quite debilitating and embarrassing and may severely limit the patient's activities.[0003]Various techniques exist for treating incontinence in patients. One such technique is surgical implantation of an artificial sphincter. One form of artificial sphincter includes an appropriately sized inflatable cuff th...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]This invention provides an artificial sphincter including at least one component adapted for inflation and deflation. At least one contacting surface of the component is coated with a polymeric material adapted to expand and return to an original configuration to prevent or inhibit wear or abrasion of the contacting surface. In one embodiment, component is a cuff adapted to surround a urethra or a rectum. In another embodiment, the polymeric material is parylene and the component is made of silicon.

[0008]This invention also includes an artificial sphincter including an inflatable cuff, a control pump fluidly coupled to the inflatable cuff, and a pressure-regulating balloon fluidly coupled to the control pump. At least a portion of the artificial sphincter includes a polymeric coating adapted to expand and return to an original configuration, to reduce the coefficient of friction of a surface, and to prevent or inhibit wear or abrasion of the surface. The polymeric coating may be parylene, for example.

[0009]This invention also includes an artificial sphincter component adapted for inflation and deflation, and coated on at least one contacting surface with a polymeric material, the polymeric coating adapted to expand and return to an original configuration and to prevent or inhibit wear or abrasion of the contacting surface. In one embodiment, the artificial sphincter component is an inflatable silicon cuff adapted to surround a urethra or a rectum and the polymeric material is parylene.

[0010]This invention also provides a method for increasing the wear-resistance of a component for a flexible artificial sphincter. The wear-resistance is increased by coating a region of the component with a polymeric material adapted to expand and return to an original configuration and prevent or inhibit wear or abrasion of a contacting surface. In one embodiment, the coating step comprises a vapor deposition of a polymeric material including parylene.

Problems solved by technology

As one might expect, this condition can be quite debilitating and embarrassing and may severely limit the patient's activities.

Through the normal movement of the patient, the cuff may be caused to bend and flex, thus causing these contacting portions to move across one another.

Generally, the fold lines will occur in the same position, and over time, the repeated movement of one portion of silicone over another may possibly lead to wear, abrasion and fatigue.

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